


Sticks and Stones

by Blackwidowislyfe



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assault, Current environment is supportive, Emotional, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Gay, Gay Bashing, Gay Male Character, Gen, Healing, Heavy Angst, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, I wasn't sure where to put it, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, It Gets Better, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, a lot of this is triggering, also maybe some squick later, religious homophobia, this is basically something that wouldn't leave me alone, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-02 02:09:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10934775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackwidowislyfe/pseuds/Blackwidowislyfe
Summary: Ethan stood, shivering, barefoot, and bloody in the falling snow. trying to comprehend what had just happenedORThe author was fed up with her homophobic family, and found a prompt. idk. read it for more clarification





	Sticks and Stones

**Author's Note:**

> hi. so um. a few things are in order. First, a big fat
> 
> DISCLAIMER: absolutely NONE of this is true. This is not meant to disrespect Ethan, his family, or anyone related to him. This is simply me trying to sort through my feelings the only way I seem to know how.
> 
> WARNINGS: Explicit homphobia, physical assault of a gay individual, and the aftermath of such a traumatic event. this mostly a healing/it-gets-better fic. idk. it's probably bad but the idea has been floating around in my head and I wanted to explore more of my experiences with homophobia and how while I live with it, it does get better and it isn't forever. Your situation is not permanent. Remember that.

Ethan stood, shivering, barefoot, and bloody in the falling snow. trying to comprehend what had just happened seemed too hard right now. Shelter. He needed shelter. The police station, or even one of his friends houses were far, but it wasn’t like he had much choice. As he shuffled down the road, the tears began to come, but Ethan tried to force them away. He could deal with the emotional aspect of his disownment later.

 

* * * *

 

He’d made it about half of a mile before someone came.

 

It wasn’t anyone he knew, and he knew most of the people in this neck of the woods. She had short, ginger hair, she looked middle aged. She came with a coat, which Ethan eagerly took, and lead him inside.

 

“You’ll catch pneumonia out there like that,” She chided gently. Something his mother probably said to him once. Or his brother. The kid was always insisting he was fucking invincible. “Come on, warm up by the fire. You got a name?”

 

“E-Ethan,” he managed to get out. Words still seemed kind of far away and hard, but desperate times and all.

 

“Okay Ethan. I’m Gabby,” The woman said. “You mind if I take a look at you? I’m a nurse, and I just wanna make sure you don’t need more medical attention.” 

 

Ethan shrugged, unsure what more could be done to him at this point. He was entirely at the mercy of this woman. She nodded, quickly grabbing her first aid kit and a pair of gloves, slipping them over her hands before sitting in front of the kid. “What happened kid?” She asked, looking over his face, making sure his nose wasn’t broken.

 

“Family beat the shit out of me,” Ethan scoffed. “Kicked me out on my ass.”

 

“Did they only hurt your face?” Gabby asked. Ethan shook his head, raising his shirt to reveal a few bruises on his torso. “Oh kid…”

 

“D-don’t tell anyone, please,” Ethan begged, the tears from earlier back. “Th-they wouldn’t even buy it.”

 

“Listen Ethan,” Gabby said firmly. “It’s your body, and they had no right to touch you. I won’t tell anyone without your permission, but if you’re under age…”

 

“I-I’m 21,” Ethan quickly clarified. “Today… is my birthday actually.”

 

“...you got anyone I should call?” Gabby asked. 

 

Ethan nodded, handing over his phone. “Tyler.”

 

*MEANWHILE IN LA*

 

Mark and co were currently in the middle of a livestream when Tyler’s phone rang.

 

“Dude!” Mark screeched. Tyler simply rolled his eyes, going far enough away that the mics wouldn’t pick up his conversation.

 

“Hey Eth, wassup?”

 

“Hi. My name is Gabby. I found Ethan wandering our neighborhood tonight bloody, bruised, and alone. He’s currently sitting in my living room, but he insisted I call you,” Gabby explained.

 

“MARK!” Tyler shouted, before returning his attention to the phone, rattling off a million questions. Among the first were, “What happened? How is he now?” And the super important, “Can I talk to him?”

 

“He’s going to be okay, but I’d like to take him to the ER, just to be sure,” Gabby explained.

 

“W-what happened?” Tyler asked.

 

“I honestly don’t know. He was wandering the streets, barefoot and bloody and cold.”

 

“C-can I talk to him?” Tyler begged.

 

“Just a minute.” Gabby handed the phone over to Ethan.

 

“Ty?” Ethan asked, almost in tears.

 

“Hey,” Tyler said and oh God, the mixture of relief and heartache he felt at the sound of that voice. “It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get you back home to us, alright? What… do you feel up to telling me what happened?”

 

“Parents gay-bashed me,” Ethan whispered, and Tyler’s heart broke. His blue boy didn’t deserve that. “I-I tried to… to get out but… but they wouldn’t stop a-and-”

 

“I know. We’re gonna help, okay? We’re gonna get you home.”

 

* * * *

 

Amy and Kathryn took over while Mark and Tyler got Ethan a plane ticket back home to them. Gabby promised she would keep him safe until she dropped him at the airport, promising she would report back once he was there.

 

She fished out her daughter’s old clothes, handing them to Ethan. They weren’t exactly the most masc things ever but he wasn’t in a position to complain. It was better than staying in the bloody wet clothes he had been in.

 

“...Where’s your daughter now?” Ethan asked.

 

“College. She’s at some school down in Texas,” Gabby explained. “She wants to be a doctor. Make a mark on the world.”

 

“She sounds amazing,” Ethan mumbled, accepting the mug he was offered. It smelled herby and warmed him to his core.

 

“I tried,” Gabby smiled at him. “What about you? Your friends sound pretty important if they can get you on a flight that quick.”

 

“....You ever hear of a guy called Markiplier?” Ethan started.

 

‘Oh God. Tessa is OBSESSED with him,” Gabby chuckled. “Him and that kid… Ethan? I think? Come to think of it, he looks… like…” Ethan blushed, curling up tighter into a ball. “You’re him, aren’t you?” Ethan nodded. “Hey, this stays between us, okay? You don’t look like your up for much of that… Famous people stuff?”

 

“Hey, that’s an understatement,” Ethan scoffed, taking a pull from the mug. “Why’d you take me in? For all you know I could be a serial killer.”

 

“Well for one, you look like Tessa did when she used to come home from school before we moved here,” Gabby explained. “And two, most serial killers have shoes and a coat. You had neither. You said your parents… gay bashed you?”

 

Ethan nodded slowly. “They… knew, or at least suspected,” he began. “But… then my grandparents came over for my birthday, and I started talking about my amazing boyfriend, the one you talked to on the phone who was freaking the hell out.”

 

“Well, as long as someone is worried about you,” Gabby sighed.

 

“Well, my brother… he has anger issues. Ones that he likes to take out on me. And tonight he started cuz he said, and I quote, ‘I’ll beat the gay out of you.’ I… managed to escape, but not before the worst of it.”

 

“You know, Tessa got a lot of that when she came out too,” Gabby said. “Of course, she was trans.”

 

“She sounds kick-ass,” Ethan mused.

 

“She’s the bravest girl I could have ever asked for,” Gabby beamed. “It kills me her father didn’t support her, but I promised her no matter what, I would. There were lots of PFLAAG meetings and doctors appointments, but I honestly love her to death. It sounds like you’ve found at least the start of a support system.”

 

“Yeah,” Ethan sighed. “Thank you.”

 

“For what?” Gabby asked.

 

“Opening your home. For not dropping me off at the ER and leaving me to fend for myself.”

 

“...Where were you headed, when you were walking?” Gabby finally asked.

 

“I wasn’t sure. I just knew if i could find someplace warm I could probably think enough to call Tyler.”

 

“Okay. Well, finish that up and we need to get you to bed. Morning comes early and I have to drop you on my way to work,” Gabby instructed. Ethan nodded, stretching. Tomorrow he would be home with Tyler. From there… where was he supposed to go?

 

* * * *

 

“Here,” Gabby said, handing Ethan a wad of cash.

 

“No, I-I don’t want to-”

 

“You’re about to enter at least three different airports and you have nothing more than your phone and the clothes on your back Ethan,” Gabby said firmly. “Don’t be dumb. You’re going to get hungry and you need money to eat with.”

 

“....It’s a loan,” Ethan grumbled, taking it. “And the clothes too. I’ll… I’ll bring them back at Christmas, okay? With Mark. it’ll be a surprise for Tessa.” Gabby smiled. This kid was good. she understood now why her daughter enjoyed watching him so much.

 

* * * *

 

“There!” Tyler shouted, already hopping out of the car and rushing over to Ethan. The boy matched his strides, colliding with Tyler and bursting into tears. “Shh. I know. You’re here now. You’re safe. I won’t let anything else happen, alright?”

 

“You promise?” Ethan blubbered.

 

“I swear,” Tyler said, placing a gentle kiss on Ethan’s forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> See? that wasn't so bad. Anyways this isn't going to be super long (hopefully). I love you guys and I will see you next time.


End file.
